Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-01-14

great many Interesting things
90, yes, | s'Iose. Awful interesting. Lot
o dead men laying around in the mud. Bout
as interesting, | ahoUd say, as IA spell o set
ting on corener's jury The things you find
interesting would bore anybody else to
death"
Abe gave the obstinate clump savage
twitch, which only made its knots more re-
bcliious, and he looked us if strongly tempted
to throw it into the fire.
"Don't do it, Abe" said Kent. with laugh
that irritated Abe worse still. Threads
thread out here, hundred miles from no.
where. You don't know where you'll get any
more Save it, my dear fellow, save it, Per-
chance you may yet swcetly beguile many an
hour of your elegant leisure in unravclng its
fantastic convolutions with your taper fin
gers, and"
"Lord! Lord" said Abe with an expression
of deep WEAKNESS, but without looking in
kent's direction, who's pulled the string o
that clack mill and set it to goingi When it
gets started once it rolls out big words like
punkins dropping out O the tail of n wagon
going up hill. And there's no way o stop
ping it, either You've just got to wait till
it runs down.
"Tho Proverbs say so flttinrly that a fool
delighteth not in wise Instruction." said
Kent, as he stepped around to the other side
of the fire His foot fell upon projecting
twig, the other end of which flew up and
landed Il very hot coal on the back of Abc's
hand. Abes action followed that of the
twig, in the suddenncss of his upsprnging
He hurled an oath and firebrand at his
comrade
"This is really becoming domestic" said
Kent as he laughingly lodged. "Thc gentle
amenities could not cluster more thickly
around our freside, even if we were married"
When Abe resumed his seat he did not
como down exactly upon the spet from which
he had arisen. 1t was li,sle farther to the
right, where he had stuck the needle He
had forgotten all about it, but he rose with q
howl when it keenlv reminded him that like
the star spanged banner it was still there"
Don't rise on my account, | beg" said
Kent with a deprecatory wave of the hand,
Us he hurried Off to where he could laugh
with safety. A saucy drummer boy, who
neglected this precaution, received n cuff from
Abes heavy hand that thrilled the rest of the
drum corps with delight
When Ahes wrath subsidized from this ebul-
/ lient stage back to It's customary one of sim
mer, Kent ventured to return.
Say, said he, pulling over the coats and
blankets near the fire, where's that cam
teen ~
"There it is by the cups. Can't you see it 7
If it was a snake it'd bite you"
Its done that already, several times, or
rather its contents have You know what
the Bible says, 'Bteth like a serpent and
stingcth like an adderr All, here it is. But
gloomy forcbodinSs seize me; it is suspic-
iously light Paradoxically, its lightncss in
ny-it in Tltt ie,o
tirely too fnedrawn for camp atmosphere
He shook the canteen near his ear "Alas!
no gurgle responds to my fond caresses:
Cantcen, Mavourneen, o why art thou silent,
Thou voice Of my heart:
1t is--woe is met is empty"
"Of course it is-you were the last person at
it"
II hur that foul imputation back into thy
teeth, base knave Thou thyself art very
daughter of a horse leecb with canteen Of
whisky
Abe looked at him inquiringly You
must've found some some place, lie said, "or
you wouldn't he 50 awiuily glib Its taken
bout hall pint to loosen your tongue so that
it'd run tli~ way. | know you."
"No, Eve nc; found spoonful The elo-
quonco = thirst is the only INSPIRATION ! have
at present. ! fam would stay its cravings by
qualiing bcaker Of mountain distilled hair
curler Mayhap this humble receptacle con-
tains yet a tew irops which escaped thy raw
enous thirst"
Kent turned the cantcen upside down, and
placed il, mouth upon his ton-u, No" aa
said, W.l lc,p detection, all that lch- ious
fluid OF yesterday is now like the Father Of
his Country
"Ehf said Abe puzzled
because It i no T.Ore-it is nc more. 1t
belongs TO the unretnrning past"
Il say he continued after moments
pause, lets 70 out and hunt for some There
must be plenty in this neghborhood Nature
never makes want without providing some
thing to supply it. Therefore, Judging from
my thirst this country ought to be full of
dlstillerics
They buckled on their belts, picked up their
guns and started out, directing their steps to
| the front
In spite of the sunshine the walk through
the battlefield was depressing, Scattered over
tho mountain side were fatigue parties en-
gagged in hunting up the dead and burying
| them in shallow graves hastily dug in clay so
red that it seemed as if saturated with the
blood shed the day before, The buricIs thrust
their hands into the pockets of the dead with
9th, and took from the garments seeping
with water and blood, watches, letters, am
crotypes, money and trinEetS, some Of which
they stuffed 10 gain II cicw to the dead mans
| IDENTIFY, some retained IA, souvenirs, but threw
| the most back into he grave with an air of
loathing The ia cS of the dead, with their
staring eyes and open mouths and long, lanli
hair, cloyed with the sand and mud thrown
lp by the beating rain, looked indescrlbably
repulSive.
The barriers found it better to begin their
work by covering the features with a cap or
a BROAD orimmed hat, 1t was difficult for
the coarsest Of them 10 fling ,padelul of
dank clay directly upon the wide-open eyes
and seemingly speaking mouth
Those fellows souls" said Kent, regarding
| the corpsc6, seem to have left their earthly
houses in such haste that they forgot to close
The doors and windows after them. Some
where have read Of a superstition that bodily
enements left II this way were liable TO be
entered and occupied by evil spirits, and from
| this rOSe auStnn Of uiOusly closing tho